My new Noj Dubrovnik Minceta set

After 2 years of waiting I finally received my new chess set few weeks ago, but I had to take the time and enjoy it first, before sharing it with you guys. It is the Noj Dubrovnik Minceta in walnut and maple with matte finish, weighted. The board is a Drueke style from SakisTsiogkasWood at Esty.

The pieces are gorgeous and the feel is just amazing. Quality is top notch both in terms of shape and finish. This is definitely the best set I used and it was well worth the wait. Of course, collaborating with Gregor from @nojchess was very nice, helpful and professional. Because there are lots of other places around here where people already discussed all the technical details about Noj sets, I would just say one more thing: I love them! 

The board is walnut and maple as well and after all the research, and because I live in Europe, I reached out to Athanasios from SakisTsiogkasWood and the board turned out amazing. I think it also matches the pieces very well.

After years of reading these forums and looking at all the pictures of your amazing Noj sets, I am very happy that I'm able to finally share mine:

Congrats on the pieces and board and thank you for all the beautiful photos. I'm going to take some time later and really enjoy these, especially since I've been curious about SakisTsiogkas. Enjoy it!!

Very creative photos. Thank you. Was the wait worth it?

I used to have this board. The bottom is not finished like true Drueke boards, but nice anyway.

@ogouriev When you said it is unfinished, do you mean it is rough and not coated with something like oil, varnish, or poly?

I'm guessing $150.

Happy you should be! Such a superb combination of board & pieces. As you know by now,you have to see and hold an Noj set of pieces in your hands to fully appreciate the work that went into them.....Penultimate quality.

Good luck

that is a most excellent set <3

I love the visible grain on the black pieces (actually I'm thinking about changing my user name to lovesVisibleGrain :-D )

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Yes, the wait was definitely worth it, especially since it's not at all an active wait, but you just remember every few weeks/months about the order and maybe chat a bit with Gregor to check if everything is still on track. 
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@ogouriev I am not exactly sure what you mean by "the bottom", but the finish of the board is not indeed that shiny or glossy. I have no issues as sliding the pieces is very satisfying and I think this type of finish matches well with the matte finish of the pieces. The surface of the board is really smooth while you can still feel the real wood and its grain, rather than just a thick coating layer.

Hello,

Very nice.

Is it better to have an electronic chess set or a chess set like this one?

Thanks

@sevcri I think it really comes down to your personal preferences. I own a walnut DGT board with the Timeless weighted pieces and that satisfies my need of a digital setup. Although I saw that people are complaining about all sorts of compatibility issues with the DGT sets, I had no problems using it, especially on lichess. There are also lots of other digital options out there, each with its advantages and disadvantages. So if you plan to train and play online, but on a physical board, then you should look in that direction.
 
You also have the option to get Noj sets with DGT resonators inserts, but these days it might take quite a lot of time to get hold of the DGT spare parts, so I preferred to go classic. With this Noj set, I wanted something that is very high quality and that will eventually calm down my eagerness to always look for another set

@ddragos

Thanks for all

But about a DGT board, do you use a USB e-Board Walnut, a Peagasus, ..

See you soon in a chess game

Actually, the above variation of the knight is more beautiful than the original.

@ddragos If you'd be so kind, can you periodically (I don't know, every 6 months?) update the thread or message me how the board is holding up warping-wise? That's always my concern with some of these etsy sellers. SakisTsiogkasWood seems like one of the best, if not the best, of them, so I don't expect it but some of the other respected sellers there seem to have had some trouble (which some of us have experienced first-hand). I'm generally extremely pleased to be using my Rechapados Ferrer veneer boards, but I would also love a solid wood board like yours. Thanks!

@lotsoblots I don’t know about others, but my 14” CWW board held up well after 4 years. My JK Creative is still good after 3 years. I also still have the board from Dovetail Artistry which is probably closer to 4 years now. It is still good surprisingly since it is only 5/8” thick.

Congratulations on your purchase! The walnut is beautiful for the dark pieces! Must be a delight after a 2-year wait to finally be able to play a game with the set!

Gorgeous set and the pieces are absolutely superb in every way! There's a very good reason why so many people are willing to wait the two years and spend that kind of money for an Noj set. Doubtful they are fools.

Regarding a board (in general) I own the JLP Players Choice 21 inch chess board and it is an immaculately made product.

Good luck with your gem.

I’m sorry but I must take exception and disagree with this criticism of the Noj sets, particularly the Knights.

Yes, the 3 Dubrovnik versions by Noj are made very closely to the originals. I feel one has fallen into the trap of looking at the magnified side shots of the pieces and not taking into account how the pieces look on a board, during play.

Also, the Noj work and craftsmanship are recognized as being of the highest quality. I bought my first Noj Dubrovnik set a good number of years ago and I along with others fell in love with it while playing Chess using it.

I agree that they are expensive. And I am happy that I bought my sets from them a good number of years ago. I certainly would probably not buy some of these sets at the current prices.

The only hype I am aware of is the numerous and consistent reviews and comments about these sets being the best by all that own one, on this forum.

These sets are not your typical Jaques-style pieces. I believe they are not meant to be. These are not repros of repros. They are detailed creations of 2 or 3 original designs.

No one is forcing anyone else here to like or buy anything. Heaven knows, we are just a bunch of people talking about Chess sets, no more.